folktale

noun

Definition of folktalenext
as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of folktale Virginia Hamilton, The People Could Fly A collection of African American folktales rooted in oral tradition—stories carried across generations, shaped by memory, resistance, and imagination. — Edwin B. Maxwell, Literary Hub, 22 Apr. 2026 This ecology is woven into our folktales and culture. — Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 John Swansburg revisits the country’s founding folktale. — Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026 This relationship brings another level to the film, as Kotevska weaves in the titular folktale of Silyan, about another lonely man and his stork. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
  1. tale
  2. legend
  3. story
  4. myth
  5. history
  6. romance
Noun
  • There’s a house on the property where Francis Ford Coppola filmed Vito Corleone avenging his mother’s death in The Godfather Part II, but Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were interested in a much older tale about Sicily—one of gods and mortals.
    — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 14 July 2026
  • This underdog tale — a popular trope in musical theater — offers many moving moments, though several feel cloying.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of tale
Noun
  • First, the inability to use legends outside Ultimate Team continues to be one of EA's cardinal sins.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • But family legend has it that the one brother who settled on the island married a Native American and began a long line of Gendrons.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of legend
Noun
  • Associated Press writers Pan Pylas and Jill Lawless contributed to this story.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Especially since there are so many stories already inside the game with the campaign aspect.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 18 July 2026
Definition of story
Noun
  • In all likelihood, the legends of those battles, passed down through song, grew into myth, hence how the character of Odysseus was probably born.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 17 July 2026
  • The filmmaker who has spent his career defending the theatrical experience adapts one of literature’s foundational myths on an enormous scale.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of myth
Noun
  • Shinto was formally separated from the state after World War II, but its traditions still reflect a broader history of religious and cultural influences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • The Jules Rimet Trophy — named after the former FIFA president following his death in 1956 — had an astonishing history.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of history
Noun
  • The vampire saved the show from imminent cancelation, prompting a spike in ratings and a new direction away from a moody Jane Eyre-like gothic romance style to outright supernatural (if unintentionally campy) horror.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
  • Dark romances often blend genres and may include hints of dark academia, fairytale or fantasy.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Definition of romance

Browse Nearby Words

folksy
folktale
folktales
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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